Pocket match-box



(No Model.)

H. G. JOHNSON.

POOKBT MATCH BOX.

.No. 587,040. Patented Ju1y27, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

POCKET MATCH-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 587,040, dated July 2-7, 1897. Application filed October 17, 1896. Serial No. 609,215. (No model.)

To 04% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HANS G. JOHNSON, of WVaukon, in the county of Allamakee and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pocket Match-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in pocket match-boxes, the object being to provide a receptacle that can be conveniently carried in the pocket with an ejector for forcibly ejecting one match ata time from the box and with igniting devices accessible -from the outside, which are manipulated at will for lighting the match or not as it is ejected from the box.

A further object is to provide a match-box with a device for slitting the end of a cigar.

With these ends in view my invention consists in certain details of construction, which will be hereinafter fully pointed out and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in perspective of my invention, and Fig. 2 is a View in longitudinal section of the same. 1

A represents the box or receptacle, preferably made of a single piece of sheet metal bent upon itself and provided at one end with a wall or partition a and at a point removed from the other end with a wall I), the two walls a and b'forming the ends of the match-compartment. The compartmentthus formed is provided with a cover 0, hinged at a point approximately over the wall or partition b and provided at its other end with a spring-hook 0, adapted to hook over the end of the compartment adjacent to the wall a. The receptacle thus formed is rectangular in shape, and while I prefer to have the sides thereof parallel they can be formed bulging or tapering. It is desirable, however, that the closed side edge against which the match rests before it is ejected be of a size sufficient to receive a single match, and thus prevent clogging of the apparatus.

D is a U-shaped ejector, one member of which passes through the opening in the wall a and moves within the receptacle or box, ad-

jacent to the closed side edge thereof, while the opposite member of said ejector is mounted in the loop d, secured to the closed side edge of the receptacle at the end adjacent to ceptacle rests approximately in line with the wall a, thus permitting the match to fall into alinement with the inner member of the ejector. The partition I) is provided at a point in line with the inner member of the ejector with an opening f, sufiiciently large for the free passage of a match.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by moving the ejector outwardly to the limit of its extreme movement a match is permitted by gravity to fall into alinement with the openings in the walls and with theinner memberof the ejector. By now moving the ejector inwardly the match is forced out through the opening sufficiently far to enable its stem to be readily grasped. The sides of the bodyA at apoint outside of the wall Z7 are slitted at the bottom, as at g, and at the sides, as at h, thus forming two spring-jaws, which can be readily forced toward each other by pressure of the fingers. The spring-jaws are serrated on their inner faces, or, if desired, may be lined with sand or emery paper and normally rest sufficiently far apart to permit a matchhead to be drawn out between them without igniting the match by frictional contact.

If itis desired to ignite the match, the match is first forced outwardly until its stem is exposed sufficiently to enable it to be grasped. The spring-jaws are then forced by pressure into contact with the match-stem and by now forcibly pulling the match-head between the roughened faces of the spring-jaws the friction ignites the match-head.

Instead of having both the igniting-jaws flexible one can be rigid, but I prefer to have them both yielding, as previously explained.

One jaw is provided with a semicircular blade 71, struck up from the body of the jaw and bent inwardly at right angles thereto.

The other jaw is provided at a point immediately over the blade with a circular opening is for the introduction of the end of a cigar. lVith this construction the blade or cutter is confined between the two jaws, and hence is not in a position to injure or tear the clothing of the user. To slit the cigar it is simply necessary to force the end thereof through the opening and against the cutter, which latter simply divides or slits the end of "the cigar, and as the end of the cigar is confined within the opening 70 the end of the eigar is prevented from being crushed or the wrapper from unwinding.

It is evident that changes in the construction and relative arrangement of the several parts might be made without avoiding my invention, and hence I would have it understood that I do not restrict myself to the particular construction and arrangement of parts shown and described; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As an article of manufacture, a matchbox adapted to receive matches, an ejector for removing a match part way from the box, and a pair of spring igniting-jaws formed from the shell of the box between which the ejected match passes, said jaws accessible from the outside of the .box and capable of being compressed between the thumb and finger' whereby they may be caused to ignite the match or not at the will of the user.

2. As an article of manufacture, a pocket match-box having a hole in one side to receive the end of a cigar and a knife projecting inwardly from the other side toward the hole for the cigar.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HANS G. J OIINSON.

\Vitnesses:

HENRY W. IIELMING, O. S. STILwELL. 

